Another life sentence for murder

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WINDHOEK - Windhoek High Court Judge Dinnah Usiku on Friday dished out the umpteenth life sentence since the Supreme Court declared the increasing long direct jail terms by the High Court inhumane, in what has become to be known as the ‘Gaingob Judgment’.

The latest recipient of a life sentence is Edmund Elvis Nanub, 35, a resident of Havana settlement in Katutura who was convicted of murder with direct intent and robbery with aggravating circumstances for slitting the throat of his former girlfriend and mother of his daughter before he robbed her and her new boyfriend of a gas stove.

He was convicted of murdering his former girlfriend Gedrudt Noarises on September 11, 2013 at Havana by hitting her with bricks, as well as strangling her and stabbing her multiple times with a knife in the throat, neck, head and back. Nanub maintained to the end that he did not commit the offences – which the judge called heinous, brutal and monstrous.
She further sentenced Nanub to eight years on the robbery conviction, but because of the Gaingob Judgment, the sentence are to run concurrently with the life sentence, meaning he will be eligible for parole after 25 years.

According to Judge Usiku, the death of the deceased hurt the family so much and the fact that to date the accused has completely failed to show any remorse hurts even more. “The manner in which the deceased was killed was very brutal in that she was almost beheaded, her throat was slit and she was also struck with a huge brick on her head,” the judge said and continued: It was indeed a painful death.

She went on to say that the post mortem report highlighted that the deceased had bruises and abrasions to the neck which means a lot of pressure was applied. “She had bleeding on her brain caused by the brick with which she was struck,” the judge said and added “at the time of her death, she was 25 years of age in an early stage of pregnancy.”

Judge Usiku went on to say that “surely the acts committed against her could not have come from a person who claims to have loved her”. She further said the only motive for the killing was because the deceased left Nanub for another man. According to the judge, whereas circumstances of each case may differ, the courts have the duty to fairly sentence offenders.

“Furthermore, society requires that people should be punished for their evil deeds committed against society. The crimes committed especially against women and children have become too common. The court has the duty to send out a strong message to society that such offences will not be taken lightly,” the judge said and continued: “Not only did the accused take away the life of the deceased which had a negative impact on her family, but he has left his own child without a mother and the role that a mother plays in a child’s life is one which is immeasurable.”